Sunday, April 30, 2017

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Months ago, I argued that the Iranian nuclear deal was so bad that it was hard to see how Barack Obama was acting as anything other than a lobbyist for the Islamic Republic. Tehran got virtually everything it demanded. Time and again, the U.S. constantly gave in to Iranian demands for more concessions.

The deal was so bad that Obama plotted to avoid the Constitution's treaty approval process because he knew it would never pass muster with the people's representatives.

The deal was so bad that Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes even admitted to lying about it in order to deceive the public.

Not surprisingly, we are still learning just how bad this deal is and how much we were lied to by the Obama Administration.

What is surprising is the source of the latest revelations -- Politico, a reliably liberal publication. Many Washington conservatives are shocked that Politico "committed an act of journalism."

Sarcasm aside, we are now learning that there was another "hidden giveaway" involved in the deal. Politico reports that the Obama White House "derailed its own much-touted National Counterproliferation Initiative at a time when it was making unprecedented headway in thwarting Iran's proliferation networks."

How so? Obama freed several Iranians who were intimately involved in Tehran's illegal weapons trade.

When Obama made the announcement, as part of a hostage swap, he again lied to the American people. On January 17, 2016, Obama said that he was releasing seven Iranians as part of a "one-time, humanitarian gesture." He added, "These individuals were not charged with terrorism or any violent offenses." He added that they were "civilians."

Here are the facts from Politico's investigation:

Three allegedly were part of an illegal procurement network supplying Iran with U.S.-made microelectronics with applications in surface-to-air and cruise missiles.

One was serving an eight-year sentence for conspiring to supply Iran with satellite technology and hardware.

In addition, the Justice Department dropped charges and international arrest warrants against 14 other men.

Three sought to lease Boeing aircraft for an Iranian airline that had supported Hezbollah.

A fourth was charged with conspiring to buy thousands of assault rifles for Iran.

A fifth was part of a procurement network that provided Iran with components for an especially deadly type of IED known to have killed hundreds of American troops in Iraq.

Politico writes that federal prosecutors and investigators "were shocked and angry." One former federal law enforcement supervisor said, "They didn't just dismiss a bunch of innocent business guys."

But there was more. The Obama Administration sabotaged active investigations. "Justice and State Department officials denied or delayed requests from prosecutors and agents to lure some key Iranian fugitives to friendly countries so they could be arrested," Politico writes.

A weapons proliferation expert added, "This is a scandal. The cases bear all the hallmarks of exactly the kinds of national security threats we're still going after. It's stunning and hard to understand. . ."

Thankfully, President Trump has ordered his national security team to reevaluate the Iranian nuclear deal. In the meantime, the White House should identify and fire any Obama officials involved in this scandal.

As you know, there were "non-partisan" March for Science demonstrations
in many U.S. cities over the weekend, including here in Washington, D.C.
Of course, they really weren't non-partisan.

They were thinly-veiled anti-Trump, anti-conservative gatherings. Some
of these same folks were in Washington after the inauguration marching
around town with "vagina hats" on their heads. Don't ask.

I can say with certainty that the crowd was selective in its love of
science. For example, I saw no signs defending two scientific truths
that the left rejects: Life beings at conception and there are only two
genders.

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Friday, April 21, 2017

Former Vermont Governor Dr. Howard Dean has weighed in on the Ann Coulter/Berkeley controversy. He tweeted, "Hate speech is not protected by the first amendment."

When leftists like Howard Dean say hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment then the first question we should ask is, "What does Howard think is hate speech?" We just went through an entire election cycle in which the left told us every day what hate speech was.

According to the left, hate speech is saying that some illegal immigrants commit crimes. (By the way, the Trump Administration warned nine sanctuary cities today that they had to prove their compliance with federal law or risk losing federal dollars.)

According to the left, hate speech is saying that marriage is between a man and a woman.

According to the left, hate speech is saying that terrorist acts are being committed by radical Islamists.

Just like hate crimes, hate speech is a one-way street. Hate speech is any speech that offends the left.

Little Howard Dean wannabes on university campuses say it is hate speech if you cite research proving that most police officers really are good guys. And of course, flying the Confederate flag is hate speech. But burning an American flag is not.

A mural featuring a decapitated Donald Trump is free expression. Saying the NRA is more dangerous than ISIS is free speech.

But it is hate speech to say we should limit immigration from nations that have large radical Islamic populations. It is not hate speech to say that the flag of Islam will fly over the White House.

My point is simply this: Increasingly the left, including the left-wing media, define mainstream conservative ideas as hate speech.

So don't dismiss the Howard Deans of the world when they tell you that hate speech isn't protected by the First Amendment. They mean it and they mean to shut you up.

One of the reasons the country is so on edge is that at least half of America understands that the other side wants to make it impossible to defend our values.

Thursday, April 20, 2017

For the third time in as many months, the University of California, Berkeley, has banned a leading conservative from speaking on campus. The latest victim of the radical left's fascism is author and commentator Ann Coulter.

In a statement announcing the cancellation of Coulter's April 27th appearance, Berkeley administrators declared, "Given currently active security threats, it is not possible to assure that the event could be held successfully -- or that the safety of Ms. Coulter, the event sponsors, audience, and bystanders could be adequately protected -- at any of the campus venues."

How pathetic!

Initially, Berkeley made several absurd demands. For example, the university demanded that Coulter speak only during the day -- when students are in class. She agreed.

Then Berkeley demanded that the event be closed to the public and that only students could attend. Coulter agreed.

Then Berkeley said that the location could not be announced until right before the event was set to begin. In other words, Berkeley did its best to ensure that virtually no one would be able to attend her speech. But Coulter accepted all these conditions.

She asked in return only that the rioters be prosecuted and that students who engaged in violence be expelled. Well, that was too much for Berkeley. Rather than defend free speech and uphold the rule of law, Berkeley cancelled Coulter's appearance.

Berkeley is a sad example of how our institutions of higher learning are becoming "Constitution/Conservative Free Zones," where the First Amendment's freedom of speech does not apply to conservatives.

I am glad Coulter isn't backing down. The left's fascist tactics and its totalitarian tendencies must be exposed and resisted. Public institutions that refuse to guarantee First Amendment freedoms and fail to enforce public safety should lose access to public dollars.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

While the media continue to pursue the narrative that Donald Trump cannot accomplish anything, day by day the Trump Administration is rolling back the last eight years of disastrous policies.

For example, Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited the southern border yesterday and announced new initiatives intended to seriously address illegal immigration. Attorney General Sessions bluntly warned:

"For those who continue to seek improper and illegal entry into this country, be forewarned: This is a new era. This is the Trump era. The lawlessness, the abdication of duty to enforce our laws, and the catch and release policies of the past are over."

In stark contrast to the Obama Administration's abuse of "prosecutorial discretion," Attorney General Sessions yesterday directed federal prosecutors to charge repeat illegal entry offenders with a felony. Illegal immigrants caught with fake documents or IDs will be charged with aggravated identity theft.

While Obama's weak policies invited massive waves of illegal immigration, Trump's tough stance is having an immediate effect: Border crossings have fallen to their lowest levels in 17 years!

President Trump is already producing positive results. So much for the media's "do nothing" narrative.

Heather MacDonald, a widely respected researcher, was prevented from speaking last week at Claremont McKenna College by a violent mob of demonstrators. I don't know how MacDonald defines herself politically, but I do know she is very pro-law enforcement. And that was too much for the left-wing students and Black Lives Matter radicals on campus.

MacDonald wanted to explain that the police "are the most dedicated workers in government who make sure black lives matter." But the "tolerant" left once again employed fascist tactics to shut her down.

Hiram E. Chodosh, president of the college, issued a statement saying that "any forced interventions or arrests would have created unsafe conditions for students, faculty, staff, and guests."

Sorry, President Chodosh, but silencing free speech and giving in to the demands of radicals is the wrong response. Your cowardice only emboldens the real fascists in America -- the radical left.

The left's disrespect for our most basic constitutional rights must be aggressively resisted. Radicals who disrupt public events should be arrested and prosecuted. Institutions of higher learning that cannot or will not protect free speech should lose taxpayer funding.

And more of our political leaders on both sides of the aisle should speak up and condemn the violence and harassment that is routinely committed by progressive storm troopers.

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About the Blog and Me

I am 47 years old, living in the Pacific Northwest. I grew up in Kennewick, Boise, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. I have lived in every major US city. I am a gunsmith, artist, writer, musician, farmer, ordained minister, and political blogger. Former truck driver, shrimper, logger, and Navy guy.

Damon's Favorite Quotes

The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking.

“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” Thomas Jefferson.

Those who would sacrifice liberty for a temporary convenience deserve neither. Ben Franklin

The heart of the wise inclines to the Right, but the heart of the fool to the Left. Ecclesiastes 10:2 (the Bible)

I didn't claw my way to the top of the food chain to eat vegetables. Damon

My beliefs are born from pain, not politics. Damon

While all ideas have a right to be heard, none has an automatic right to be respected. Pat Buchanan

Since the 1980s there has been a great increase in the right to behave badly and an equal decrease in the freedom to behave normally

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

If you need to bring in a business partner, make sure your partner brings along some money.

Remember that what's right isn't always popular, and what is popular isn't always right.

Politics is too important to be left to the politicians.

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Coach Lou Holtz

If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. Unknown Author

One man with courage is a majority. Andrew Jackson

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Eleanor Roosevelt

It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are. Roy Disney

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Confucious